The Hives get Benicassim very excited… fans are now camped out for a rock triple bill

With the departure of the amazing Calexico from the stage, the festival site went eerily quiet, but for the pounding sounds from across the site. The Hives were well into their main stage set.

With the departure of the amazing Calexico from the stage, the festival site went eerily quiet, but for the pounding sounds from across the site. The Hives were well into their main stage set.

The Swedes got to the festival site late last night and have been hanging around backstage all day, excitable and glad to be playing such a big show – it’s been a while since we’ve seen them out at big festivals.

Psyching themselves up with chest beating and stretching exercises, the Hives also found a few minutes to practise throwing, catching and kicking drumsticks – preparing for their boistrous live show.

It must be said, they’re still a pretty impressive live act. Loud and jumping around all over the stage, still in their trademark black and white outfits, they just get straight to the point.

The set is a half-and-half of ‘greatest hits’, and tracks from new album ‘Tyrannasaurus Hives’. On the new tracks particularly, their rockier, more Stooges side was brought out, and at times, they almost seemed to veer towards post-rock frenzies, rather than the indie box into which most would place them.

But of course it’s the hits that had the crowd singing along, ‘Hate To Say I Told You So’ created a heaving mosh pit across half the main stage arena.

Cocky frontman, Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist declares the band “the rulers of Benicassim Festival” (in pretty good Spanish, to boot), and so they seemed to be. He dedicated the next song to himself (‘A.K.A. Idiot’) and the crowd sung the chorus back to him.

Pelle launched himself into the photopit, and climbed up on the barrier, to be held aloft by the adoring audience. I think he thinks it’s good to be back in the game.